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August 31, 2014

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Obedience, Salvation: A New You

WHO WILL YOU SERVE?

But if you don’t want to serve the Lord, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. [Joshua 24:15 (NCV)]

I love travel but I hate packing; I stress over each item I put in my suitcase. Wanting to be prepared for every eventuality, I pack and repack several times. My husband, however, packs his suitcase in a matter of minutes but may spend ten minutes or more pondering which barbecue sauce to purchase. My mother-in-law dithers over finding the perfect greeting card and I know women who try on a dozen or more pairs of shoes before making their purchase. In our own ways, we each spend an inordinate amount of time making decisions of little or no consequence. Do we give that same amount of thought to the one decision we all must make, the most important decision in our lives, the one with eternal consequences? Who will we choose to serve today?

Then the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God, and we will obey him.” [Joshua 24:21 (NCV)]

 

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August 30, 2014

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, Trusting God

TAKE THE PLUNGE!

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. [Exodus 14:15-16 (NLT)]

With Pharaoh’s army fast approaching, the Israelites were trapped between the mountains and the sea. They immediately panicked and blamed Moses for their predicament. He was no longer regarded as the man who freed them from years of suffering slavery; he was now the fool who’d led them to certain death in the wilderness. Looking back at the soldiers, the Israelites refused to go forward. Moses assured them that the Lord would fight for them. “Stand still,” he said, “The Lord will rescue you.” The Lord, however, had other plans. He told Moses to stop praying and to get moving; they could walk through the sea on dry land!

Have you ever felt like the Israelites, like you’re between a “rock and a hard place” with no place to go? When that happens, we usually do the same thing the Israelites did; panic, find someone to blame, lose heart and want to quit. Eventually, we may pray but then we hesitate to take action. It’s easier to do nothing than to take a plunge into the unknown. Sometimes, God will fight our battles for us but, other times, he wants us to get moving and to trust that He will make a path for us.

Never give up; if God parted the waters for the Israelites, he can part them for us. We, however, will still have to do the walking!

Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! [Exodus 14:21-22 (NLT)]

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August 26, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Gifts

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

8-26-14 fruitofspiritWEBBut what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. [Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG)]

I love to picture the fruit tree of a Christian’s life. Instead of apples or oranges, it is laden with fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Let’s grab our bushel baskets and harvest this wonderful fruit of the Holy Spirit!

The Fruit of the Spirit Song (Fill Me Up)
[by Rick Muchow & Rick Warren]

God’s apple is love, His orange is patience,
Banana is self-control, His lemon is peace,
His kindness a peach, And my life is the bowl.

So, fill me up (with your Spirit, it’s delicious),
Fill me up (let me hear it, it’s nutritious),
Fill me all the way up, With the fruit of Your Spirit!

 

 

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August 25, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

DO WE LOVE LIKE CHRISTIANS?

My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring. [1 John 3:18 (NCV)]

The Apostle John makes it abundantly clear that it is not enough for us to believe; we must both believe and love. Our Christian faith must result in loving behavior. If it doesn’t, there is something wrong with our faith.

We may not like everyone and God doesn’t expect us to do so. But he does expect our actions and words to reveal our faith and our love. Unfortunately, loving all the people around us all of the time can be extremely difficult to do. Loving people from afar seems a much easier concept than loving those we see day after day! Impersonal charity is often simpler than forgiving a brother or being kind to a neighbor. We often find it easier to write a check to a worthy cause than to make our daily words and actions reflect our faith on a personal basis.

We certainly won’t have affection for every person we meet, but we can have love. It is not our politics or words or even our knowledge of the Bible that identify us as Christians; it is our love.

All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other. [John 13:35 (NCV)]

 

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August 23, 2014

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God's Plan, Obedience, Trusting God

HIS PLANS

The Lord will work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. [Psalm 138:8 (NLT)]

Lord, keep me from being so rigid in my life that I fail to accept and follow your plan for my life. I’m hesitant to surrender completely to your will because I fear what you might ask of me. Yet, in my heart, I know that you will equip me with whatever skills I need to do whatever you ask of me. Moreover, because you love me, I know you’ll give me a joyful heart as I do it! Lord, I am yours; direct me!

But as Scripture says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” [1 Corinthians 2:9 (GW)]

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August 21, 2014

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God's Grace & Love, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Obedience

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN?

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35b (NLT)]

As I perused a glossy magazine dedicated to the wealthy, I saw short pieces about men’s handkerchiefs that sell for over one hundred dollars, a walnut portable bar (perfect for when you’re out hunting) costing about $7,600, Ferragamo sneakers that go for $1,200, and a $67,500 watch that covers all thirty times zones! An article about a Moroccan hotel mentioned its rack rate (ranging from $2,250 to $50,000 per night) but the advertisements for cars and watches didn’t even mention cost; apparently, if you have to ask, you clearly can’t afford them!

What a relief to then read about self-made billionaire Marc Benioff who has integrated philanthropy into his company’s basic philosophy; every year it donates 1% of its profits, staff hours and technology to various charities. Since 1999, over $53 million has been given away, employees have volunteered more than 500,000 hours, and company software has been made available to 20,000 non-profits. Recently, Benioff challenged twenty other technology companies to pledge a combined $10 million to fight poverty in the San Francisco area. Within sixty days, three out of four companies approached had signed onto the project. Benioff’s next goal is to raise another $50 million from one hundred more businesses this year. He was understandably disappointed by one wealthy entrepreneur’s response to his request: “What have I been given? Why do I need to give back?”

We’re not billionaires and the amounts asked from us are a pittance in comparison, but do we ever respond as coldly? Do we ask, “What have I been given? Why should I give back?” Let us never forget that everything we have has been given to us by God. Our talent, skills, intelligence, looks, parents, race, nationality and opportunities are all gifts from God. Yes, we’ve worked hard and struggled to achieve but what we’ve accomplished has much more to do with God’s hand than our efforts.

Why do we need to give back? That one’s easy: because we’re told to do so! Giving, however, isn’t just a way to be obedient to God; it is also a way to honor Him. Perhaps the best reason to give, however, is because of the joy that it brings, not just to the recipient, but to the giver as well!

The real joy in life comes from giving. … That’s the grace that pays out every single day for me. [Marc Benioff in “Forbes Life,” Summer 2014]

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? [1 Corinthians 4:7b (NLT)]